Lumpiang Puso ng Saging

Need a tasty snack idea? This Lumpiang Puso ng Saging recipe makes the best spring rolls with shredded banana hearts, pork, and oyster sauce. Great as an appetizer or main dish with steamed rice!

Lumpia ranks as one of the most popular foods in the Philippines and comes in different variations. It's usually made with paper-like crepes called “lumpia wrappers,” which encase sweet or savory fillings.

It's a staple on holidays or get-togethers and can be done fresh (unfried), such as lumpiang sariwa and lumpiang ubod, or fried, like lumpiang shanghai, dynamite lumpia, and today’s featured dish, lumpiang puso ng saving.

What is Lumpiang Puso ng Saging

It is a crispy fried lumpia made with banana heart filling. The vegetable is sliced thinly and cooked with ground pork, onions, garlic, and oyster sauce. It's then wrapped in thin spring roll wrappers and deep-fried into crisp, golden perfection.

Ingredient notes

• Banana heart– an edible flower the banana plant shaped like a tear or cone. 
• Ground pork– you can substitute diced pork belly or chopped shrimp
• Shallots– a milder and sweeter variety of onions with a touch of sharpness. You can also use brown onions.
• Oyster Sauce– adds a salty, savory flavor with a hint of sweetness.
• Spring roll wrappers- made from a paste of rice flour and water; available at the frozen section of most Asian supermarkets
• Thai chili peppers- for a slight kick of spice
• Salt and pepper- enhances flavor and adds zing
• Oil- use neutral-tasting, heat-stable oils such as avocado, safflower, grapeseed, or peanut oilf for deep frying

How to prepare banana heart

This recipe is straightforward, but handling and preparing the puso ng saging require some work.

1. Remove the fibrous outer layers of the banana heart until you reach the lighter, softer core. 
2. Cut the stem using a knife and discard. Slice the blossom in half, lengthwise, and cut each half into thin slices. 
3. Place the shredded banana heart in a large bowl with salted cold water and soak for 15 minutes.
4. With hands, squeeze well to dispel the bitter sap. Using a colander, rinse a few times under cold, running water.
5. If you're not going to cook the shredded banana heart straight way, keep in a bowl of cold water to prevent discoloration. Drain well before using.

Assembling and Frying

• Drain the vegetable mixture very well and cool completely before wrapping as the steam and excess moisture might tear the wrappers. Refrigerate for a few minutes to speed up the cooling process. 
• Cover the spring roll wrappers with a damp kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out. 
• Do not overfill the lumpia wrappers to keep them from bursting when frying.
• For the best texture use enough oil for deep frying. Heat the oil to the deal temperature of 350 F to 375 F.
• Cook in batches to prevent the oil from plummeting. Heat the oil back to 350 F and clean of any stray food between batches.
• Drain fried lumpiang puso ng saging on a wire rack or mesh sieve over a baking sheet. Do not drain on paper towels, as this will make them soggy.

How to serve and store

• Serve lumpiang puso ng saging with a side of spicy vinegar for dipping.
• Enjoy them freshly fried as they tend to lose their crispiness over time.
• To make ahead, cook the filling and transfer to container with a tight-fitting lid.  Use within 3 days. Assemble the lumpia when ready to be deep-fried.